U.S. President Donald Trump on the 13th (local time) officially nominated Michelle Steel, a former member of the House of Representatives of Korean descent, as the first nominee for U.S. ambassador to Korea in his second-term administration. If confirmed by the Senate, it would be the second time that a person of Korean descent becomes U.S. ambassador to Korea, following former Ambassador Sung Kim.
The White House announced Steel's nomination on its official website that day and requested Senate confirmation. Once the confirmation process is completed, the vacancy in the U.S. ambassadorship to Korea that has continued for more than a year since Philip Goldberg, appointed during the Joe Biden administration, left in Jan. last year is expected to be filled. Steel, who had been floated for the post immediately after the launch of Trump's second term and remained a leading contender until recently, was reportedly finalized this time.
Born in Seoul in 1955, Steel moved to the United States with her family in 1975. After living as an ordinary housewife, she entered politics after the 1992 Los Angeles (LA) riots, recognizing the need for political participation by the Korean American community.
With support from her husband, attorney Shawn Steel (chair of the California Republican Party), she built her political base and raised her profile as a local politician by serving as California Board of Equalization Commissioner for taxes and Orange County supervisor. She was then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021 and served for four years, but narrowly lost by about 600 votes in the Nov. 2024 election.
Just before her defeat, in Oct. 2024, President Trump expressed public support and his intent to back her politically through his social media (SNS). In Washington's diplomatic circles, there is an assessment that, as a figure with a strong understanding of the U.S.-Korea relationship and the Korean American community, Steel combines symbolism and practical capability as U.S. ambassador to Korea.